THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Course Number: SOWO 810
Course Title: Evaluation of Social Work Interventions
Semester and Year: Spring 2013
Course Website: http://sakai.unc.edu
Time and Location: Mondays 10:30am-11:50am
Tuesdays 10:30am-11:50am
Instructor: Natasha K. Bowen, PhD, MSW
School of Social Work
TTK Building, Rm. 421A
Phone: 919-843-0063
Email: nbowen@email.unc.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays 12-1:00 pm, and by appointment
Course Description:
Students gain advanced knowledge of evaluation methods and evidence-based
practices that can be applied to the evaluation of social work interventions in their
areas of practice.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to draw from knowledge of
research methods and evidence-based practice, and work collaboratively with
supervisors, colleagues, peers, and consumers, to design, implement, and disseminate
the results of an evaluation of an intervention, program, service or policy that may be
needed by current or prospective consumers or program or policy planners.
Specifically, students will demonstrate:
1) Skills for reviewing and presenting information about the importance of a social
problem addressed by an agency, including its relation to discrimination based on
culture, economic status, gender, religion, age, or sexual orientation;
2) The ability to consider this social problem in the context of current service
delivery, and critically determine a matter requiring evaluation related to client
need, the process of service delivery, or service outcomes;
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3) The ability to design an appropriate evaluation, including identifying a sample,
determining a suitable study approach; and selecting appropriate, reliable, and
valid measures (including consideration of validity for the targeted population);
4) The ability to plan, conduct, and synthesize appropriate qualitative or quantitative
analyses;
5) The ability to apply knowledge of social work ethics and values to the design of a
practice intervention or other types of evaluations;
6) The ability to consider the implications of results for practice and policy (including
implications related to the agency’s success in working with clients from different
groups);
7) The ability to summarize evaluation results and program improvement plans in a
concise written document; and
8) The ability to present evaluation plans and program improvement plans to
appropriate audiences.
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Required Texts:
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Royse, D., Thyer, B. A., & Padgett, D. K. (2010) Program evaluation: An introduction
(5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks-Cole.
Rubin, R., & Babbie, E. R. (2010). Essential research methods for social work (2nd
ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks-Cole.
Hatry, H., van Houten, T., Plantz, M. C., & Greenway, M. T. (1996). Measuring
program outcomes: A practical approach. Alexandria, VA: United Way of America.
Supplemental readings are available on Sakai or through UNC libraries databases.
Additional supplementary readings may be recommended or assigned at the
discretion of the instructor.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities, which affect their participation in the course, should notify the
instructor if they wish to have special accommodations in instructional format,
examination format, etc., considered. Accommodations and services are provided by
Disability Services (Voice/TDD 962-8300; 966-4041). Learning Disability Services (9627227) provides supportive services for students with learning disabilities and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorders.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is contrary to the ethics of the social work profession, unfair to
other students, and will not be tolerated in any form. All written assignments should
include the following pledge: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in
preparing this written work.” Sign and date your statement.
Teaching Methods and Accountability:
SOWO 810 is a hybrid course in which the online and text resources used in 510 will be
the basis for application assignments and activities related to the analysis and
interpretation of evaluation data. Students are expected to be responsible for their own
learning of course material. Most in-class sessions focus on team-based application
activities. Each team will rely on the expertise, knowledge, presence, and effort of each
team member.
APA and Written Assignments:
The School of Social Work faculty has adopted APA style as the preferred format for
papers and publications. The best reference is the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2010) that is available at most bookstores. The
following web sites provide additional information:
http://juno.concordia.ca/help/howto/apa.php and http://www.apastyle.org/apa-stylehelp.aspx .
The UNC School of Social Work APA Quick Reference Guide
(http://ssw.unc.edu/files/web/pdf/APA_Quick_Reference_Guide.pdf) also contains basic
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APA information and a section on how to avoid misuse of the words and ideas of others
in your written work. Students are strongly encouraged to review the section on
plagiarism carefully. All instances of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary
measures pre-established by the School of Social Work and the University.
Course Assignments:
1. Assessments (25%):
As in 510, assessments evaluate your mastery of online content and assigned readings.
There will be two individual and three team in-class assessments.
2. In-Class Labs (15%):
There will be 1 in-class quantitative lab.
3. Qualitative Report (30%)
There will be a multi-component qualitative project that will result in a final qualitative
report. Students will work on the project individually and with their teams, in and out of
class.
4. Expert Lesson (15%)
Each student will contribute to a “speed-dating” activity based on his or her new expertise
in one evaluation method.
5. Peer Evaluation of Team Participation (15%)
Students will evaluate the level and quality of their fellow team members’ participation
mid-semester and at the end of the semester.
Assignments and Course Performance Assessment:
2 Individual Assessments
3 Team Assessments
1 Quantitative Lab
1 Qualitative Report (team)
Expert lesson
Peer Evaluations
Course Total
10%
15%
15%
30%
15%
15%
100%
Grading System:
Points
<69
70 - 79
80 - 93
94 - 100
Grade
F
L
P
H
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Attendance and Participation:
Attendance at all class sessions is expected; it is important to be on time so as not to
disrupt class. We will be covering a great deal of information in each class. If you will not
be able to attend a class, let the instructor know as soon as possible. It is your
responsibility to obtain handouts, information about class content, and information
about announcements, etc., from your classmates if you are unable to attend a class.
Students with more than two absences, or those who are late to more than four classes,
will receive an “L” unless they have made prior arrangements with the instructor. In order
to be prepared for assessments and activities, students should complete required
readings/review before coming to class.
Policy on Incomplete and Late Assignments:
A grade of Incomplete is given on rare occasions when there is sufficient reason to
warrant it. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate a conversation with the instructor to
request an Incomplete.
Late assignments are strongly discouraged. To obtain permission to submit an
assignment after the deadline, the student must seek approval from the instructor before
the day that the product is due. If permission for late submission is not granted
before breaking a deadline, the grade will automatically be reduced 10%, and
another 10% reduction will occur each day, including weekends. In case of an
emergency, a late paper may be accepted without penalty at the discretion of the
instructor.
Please note that technical difficulties are not an acceptable excuse for turning in an
assignment or quiz late. All technical inquiries should be directed to the staff of the SSW
Computing Information and Technology Unit (CITU). Please contact Manuel Garcia at
megarcia@email.unc.edu or 919-962-6416.
Policy on the Use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom:
Please set your cell phones to silent. Use of laptops is permitted only as a tool for small
group activities and in-class assignments or as an approved accommodation for students
with disabilities.
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COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1, Jan 15: Introduction to Course
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal:
Provide the foundation for the current course by reviewing evidence-based practice and
types of program evaluation.
Assignments to complete after class:
As needed, review content on the following SOWO 510 Sakai Lessons
 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice
 Orientation and Strategies for Needs Assessments
 Formative and Process Evaluation Assessment
 Outcome and Impact Evaluation
 Designing and Evaluation
Readings to complete after class (review as needed):
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 2
Royse et al.: Chapters 1, 3, 5, 9
Hatry et al.: Step 1
January 22: No class (continue review of readings and Sakai lessons)
Week 2, Jan 29 Quantitative Evaluation—Measurement Level and Univariate
Statistics (1)
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal:
By the end of this session, students will be able to interpret univariate statistics and will
be familiar with how they can be presented effectively. Students will be familiar with
measurement levels and how variables can be coded in different measurement levels.
Assignment to complete before class:
Review content on the following Sakai Lessons:
 Measurement and Questionnaire Construction
 Quantitative Data Analysis (Part I)
Readings to complete before class:
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 17 (pp. 290-293)
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Royse et al. Chapter 14 (pp. 341-351 & 362-370)
Smith, L. A., McCaslin, R., Chang, J., Martinez, P., & McGrew, P. (2010). Assessing the
needs of older gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people: A service-learning
and agency partnership approach. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53, 397401.
Recommended: review the measurement level and univariate statistical sections of the
statistics review powerpoint at the Sakai website (statsreview.ppt).
Class time will include:
**Individual Assessment** and **Team Assessment** on measurement level and
univariate statistics
Team activity on measurement level and interpreting tables with univariate statistics
Team activity on developing a clinically useful outcome variable
Week 3, Feb 5: Quantitative Evaluation—Bivariate Statistics (2)
Students will not have an in-class session this week
Goal:
Students will become familiar with different types of bivariate analyses
Readings to complete this week (focus on sections on bivariate statistics):
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 17 (pp. 293-301)
Royse et al.: Chapter 14 (pp. 351-362)
Hatry et al.: Step 6 (pp. 113-124)
Week 4, Feb 12: Quantitative Evaluation—Multivariate Statistics (3)
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal:
By the end of this session, students will have had experience interpreting tables and
choosing appropriate statistical tests for evaluating practice.
Assignments to complete by this week:

Review content on Sakai Lesson “Quantitative Data Analysis (Part II)”
Readings to complete by this week (focus on sections on multivariate statistics):
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 17 (pp. 293-301)
Royse et al. Chapter 14 (pp. 360-362)
Hatry et al.: Step 6 (pp. 113-124)
Marcynyszyn, L. A., Maher, E. J., & Corwin, T. W. (2011). Getting with the (evidencebased) program: An evaluation of the Incredible Years Parenting Training Program
in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 747-757. (Focus on Tables
2 and 4 and the text that refers to them.)
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Class time will include:
Team assessment on bivariate and multivariate statistics
Team application activity on assessment questions
Brief presentation on multivariate statistics
Week 5, Feb 19: Quantitative Evaluation--Data Analysis (4)
Half of the class will have an in-class session this week in the computer lab
Goal:
By the end of this session, students will be able to run basic statistical analysis with
Microsoft Excel, run statistical tests of difference and association, graphically present
findings, and interpret the results.
Assignment:
 In class lab using Excel to conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.
Email your instructor your completed document by 5:00 PM on Friday Feb
22.
Readings to complete before this class:
Review readings from Weeks 2-4 as needed.
Week 6, Feb 26: Quantitative Evaluation--Data Analysis (5)
Half of the class will have an in-class session this week in the computer lab
Goal:
By the end of this session, students will be able to run basic statistical analysis with
Microsoft Excel, run statistical tests of difference and association, graphically present
findings, and interpret the results.
Assignment:
In class lab using Excel to conduct descriptive inferential statistical analyses. Email your
instructor your completed document by 5:00 pm on Friday Feb 29.
Readings to complete before this class:
Review readings from Weeks 2-4 as needed.
Week 7, March 5: Qualitative Evaluation—Intro and Overview (1)
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal: By the end of this session, students will be able to design and ask qualitative
questions for interviews and focus groups, and will be able to design a qualitative
evaluation.
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Assignment to complete by this class:
Review content on Sakai Lesson “Qualitative Evaluation – Methods and Data Collection”
Readings to complete by this class:
Royse et al.: Chapter 4 (pp. 83-104)
Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 7 (pp. 102-110) and 13 (pp. 218-234)
Kranke, D. A., Floersch, J., Kranke, B. O., & Munson, M. R. (2011). A qualitative
investigation of self-stigma among adolescents taking psychiatric medication.
Psychiatric Services, 62, 893-899.
National Science Foundation. (1997). Overview of qualitative methods and analytic
techniques. User-friendly handbook for mixed method evaluations, Chapter 3. Retrieved
from http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97153/chap_3.htm
Class time will include:
**Individual Assessment** and **Team Assessment**
Team activity on planning a qualitative evaluation project (developing appropriate
interview questions)
March 12: Spring Break No class
Week 8, March 19: Qualitative Evaluation—Data Collection (2)
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal:
Students will gain experience collecting qualitative data and gain intro-level knowledge of
qualitative analysis.
Readings to complete before class:
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 18
Charles, P., Orthner, D. K., Jones, A., & Mancini, D. (2006). Poverty and couple
relationships: Implications for welfare policy. Marriage and Family Review, 39, 27-52
Jackson, K. F. (2012). Living the multiracial experience: Shifting racial expressions,
resisting race, and seeking community. Qualitative Social Work: Research and
Practice, 11, 42-60.
National Science Foundation. (1997). Analyzing qualitative data. User friendly handbook
for mixed-methods evaluations. Chapter 4. Retrieved from
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97153/chap_4.htm
Class time will include:
Collection of interview data (each student interviews and is interviewed)
Team activity related to readings
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Week 9, March 26: Qualitative Evaluation--Data Analysis (3)
Students will not have an in-class session this week.
Goal:
Students will gain experience analyzing qualitative data, independently.
Assignments to complete by this week:
 Review content on Sakai Lesson “Qualitative Analysis”
 Type up your interview notes.
 Email your interview notes to your team members by March 22 (or
according to your own team’s plan).
 Conduct independent analysis of data of interview notes from each team member.
 Submit your interview notes and the results of your individual data analysis
to the instructor by March 29th at 5 PM.
Week 10, April 2: Qualitative Evaluation—Reporting in Writing (4)
Students will have an in-class session this week.
Goal:
Students will gain experience providing evaluation results to stakeholders (based on team
analyses) and learn how to write qualitative reports.
Assignment to complete before class:
 Come to class with your field notes analyzed, including potential
recommendations.
 Bring text books to class.
Readings:
Review readings on qualitative methods as needed.
Read sections of Royse et al. chapter 15
Review Rubin & Babbie, Appendix B, Additional considerations when writing a qualitative
report.
Class time will include:
Team-based analysis of data and themes
Teams present their findings and recommendations
Discuss reporting evaluation results
Week 11, April 9: Focus Group
Students will not have an in-class session this week.
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Goal:
Become an expert in one area of program evaluation.
Assignments to complete this week:
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Review content relevant to your assigned topic area
Develop handout on topic
E-mail your instructor a copy of your 1-2 page handout by 5:00 PM on Tuesday,
April 9th – Your team will be provided feedback that will need to be incorporated
into your handout.
Week 12, April 16: Expert Rotation
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal:
(1/2 of the class) Practice sharing your expertise in one evaluation topic area.
Assignment:
Be comfortable in your topic area, revise your handout based on instructor feedback,
develop assessment questions, and be prepared to present on your topic.
Week 13, April 23: Expert Rotation
Students will have an in-class session this week.
Goal:
(1/2 of the class) Practice sharing your expertise in one evaluation topic area.
Assignment to be completed before class:
Be comfortable in your topic area, revise your handout based on instructor feedback,
develop assessment questions, and be prepared to present on your topic.
Final team report due: Saturday May 4th at noon
Peer Evaluation of Team Members’ Participation due: Saturday May 4th at noon
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